Woman killed by falling branch in Kew Gardens named

The woman who died when tree branches crashed down on her head as she walked through Kew Gardens has been named as Erena Louise Wilson, a 31-year-old accounts manager from New Zealand. She died instantly an inquest has heard.

She was unable to get out of the way when part of the Lebanese cedar snapped off and fell on her, as rain and gusts of up to 30mph swept the capital.

West London Coroner's Court heard she had been walking through the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, west London, with two friends when tragedy struck.

Her friends stated they were walking along the path and heard a loud crack, I believe they thought it was thunder.

They looked up and saw the tree branch descending. They ran and when they looked round, the lady was on the floor in an uncomfortable position to say the least, with lots of branches around her.

As far as we know, she would have died instantly from traumatic head injuries.